A nanoparticle with antibody-like binding activity has been created by a group of researchers led by Kenneth Shea of the University of California, Irvine. Their 'plastic antibody' attaches to a specific biological molecule — the honeybee toxin, melittin, which is composed of 26 amino acids.
The authors took a selection of acrylamide monomers containing chemical groups that bind to different portions of melittin, and linked these into a polymer using the target as a template. Crosslinking the monomers generated particles 30–40 nanometres in diameter, making the fruits of their labour comparable in size as well as binding activity to a real antibody. Molecules such as this might one day be injected into the blood, adding new sensors or antidotes to the immune system's armoury.
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Chemical biology: Honey trap. Nature 456, 284 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1038/456284d
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/456284d